Lighter



D. HOPPENSTAND Aug. 2, 1938.

LIGHTER Filed Oct. 22, 1955 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 2, 1938 uon'raa DavidHoppenstand, Glenshaw, Pa. Application October 22, 1935, Serial No.46,092

1 Claim. (01. 67-7.!)

My invention relates to a lighter, or mechanical device for producing aflame.

While numerous types of lighters have been proposed heretofore, all suchwith which I am familiar are characterized by rather serious ob--jections such as complex mechanism, high cost of. manufacture, andworstot all, failure to operate with certainty and regularity.

I have invented a lighter which overcomes the foregoing objections toprevious devices of this type, and in addition, has other novel featuresand advantages which will be referred to in the course of the followingdetailed description, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a case or lighter body oftubular or other convenient form with a wick holder and reservoir tor areadily inflammable fluid. In the open end of the case, I mount astriker flint oi annular form. A cap removably closing the open end ofthe body has striker pointsadapted to'cooperate with the flint to theend that on removal or the cap, aliberal shower oi sparks is\produced bythe plurality of points, efl'ective regularly and with certainty toignite the saturated wick.- One form of the invention together withcertain modifications thereof, is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention: Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectional view; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional viewalong the line III-.-III 01' Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view along the line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5'is a partial sectional view similar to Fig. 2' showing the cap;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the, body portion of thelighter, with parts in elevation;

Fig. '7 is an end view of thestriker flint;

Fig. 8 is an axial section thereof:

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form;

Fig..10 is aside elevation of a further modifled i'orm adapted for'panelFig. 11 is a view similar a diflferent form; and

Fig.- 12 is a sectional XII-XII of Fig. 11.

Referring first to Figs. 1-8. the lighter oi.- my invention comprises atubular body or case I having spring fingers 2 secured therein in anyconvenient manner as by welding or soldering. A wick holder andreservoir 3 is removably held mounting; and to Fig. 2, showing stillview along the line and a filling by the fingers 2, andis provided witha wick 4 hole normally closed by a plug 5. The plug extends outwardly oithe case through a hole 8.

In the open end of striker flint I is flange 8 and head the case I anannular positioned, between inturned 9. The interior oi the flint isgrooved r... at Ill, in the manner of threads or the like. A cap II isremovably-disposed o"er the open end of the case and is provided withstriker points l2 secured thereto, for example, by a rivet I3. Theextreme, out-turned ends of the points shown at I4 are hardened forengagement with the grooved interior of the flint 9 to produce showersof sparks when .the cap it isremoved from the case I.

The plurality of points Hi produce such a quantity of sparks thatignition of the wick immediately on removal of the cap is practicallycertain to result in every instance. When the, wick thus lighted hasserved its purpose,

replacement of the cap effectively snuffs it.

The striker flint is composed of the materials usually employed for suchpurposes in previous forms of lighters. The fingers I! tend to flexoutwardly and thus engage the flint so as to insure the production of anabundance of sparks on removal of the cap. As a result, the wick isignited every time, even though the inflammable fluid has beencompletely used'up. As shown the points I l engage the strikerring/adjacent its inner end when the cap is in place, and thus scrapealong practically the entire length of the interior thereof as the capis removed. This generates a flood of sparks and by the time the cap isremoved and air 'is admitted to the wick the temperature of thespacesurrounding the latter has been raised above the ignition point andcombustion of the fluid or the wick itself begins immediately.

Fig. 9 shows a modified form of the invention similar to that alreadydescribed except that the striker ring or flint 9a is mounted in the capIla, and the case la has striker points Ma secured interiorly thereoffor cooperation with the flint when the cap is removed.

Fig. 10 shows a further modification in which the body portion lb isremovably carried on a fixedly mounted plug portion lib. The formercarries a wick and reservoir as in Figs. 1-8, together with the strikerflint or points, while the other of the two last named-elements ismounted on the plug. Y

Figs. 11 and 12 show astill further form of the device. A case l5 has awick of inflammable that the lighter of my invention;

fiber such as cotton disposed therein as shown at It. The wick may beadvanced as used by a plug positioned therebelow in the case. A pin i!on the plug cooperates with a toothed slot G8 in the case to hold thewick at any position to which it may be moved. A striker flint i9 ismounted in the open end of the case and a cap 20 removably positionedthereon carries radially extending striker flngers or points it. Theoperation of this form 0! the invention is simiiar to that 01 Figs. 1-8.

From the foregoing description, it will be clear by reason of theprofusion of sparks produced by the multiplicity oi striker pointssimultaneously engaging the flint, can be relied on to ignite every timethe cap is removed from the case. In addition, the lighter described isvery simple in construction and may be manufactured cheaply. At the sametime, the flint is of such size and shape as to have a very long life,and the case may be designed with a large capacity for fluid withoutunduly enlarging the outside dimensions of the device.

While I have shown herein only a few of the many possible forms of myinvention, it will be understood that I intend to include all variationsof size. shape and details of construction within the scope of thefollowing claim.

I claim:

A lighter comprising a tubular case having an open end, a wick disposedsubstantially axially therein and terminating slightly below the openend of said case, an annular flint seated in said open end of the case,and terminating short of a medial transverse plane through said case,said flint being grooved circumferentially on the interior thereof, acover removably disposed on said end 0! said case, and resilient strikerpoints secured to said cover and engaging the flint adjacent its innerend when said cover is positioned on said case.

DAVID HOPPENSTAND.

